Sextortion is an abhorrent, prevalent blackmailing technique – and it’s now even more intimidating.

It’s a simple practise, and increasingly widespread as our obsession with documenting ourselves develops. We record our lives through social media, and communication is so easy. We can share a lot with friends and family.

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of this. And it’s only getting worse.

What Is Sextortion?

Sextortion is a truly disgusting form of blackmail in which attackers use sexually explicit images and videos stolen from their victims to scam them for money or further NSFW material. If the victims don’t bow to their demands, whatever pictures or footage the criminals possess are released online. The attacks are getting more elaborate, and so are the threats. It can affect any age, but children are frequently the intended victims.

The traditional sextortion method is a simple one: scammers create fake social networking accounts, and engage strangers in conversations. These progress to video chats (Skype in many cases) and the attackers convince their victims to engage in cybersex – which is then recorded and used against them.

How Has This Changed?

Much of this remains the same, of course, but as well as enticing their victims into video chats, the criminals convince them to download a supposed-fix for an audio issue, which is, in fact, malware. Android is a particular target, but jailbroken iPhones are also vulnerableSmartphone Security: Can iPhones Get Malware?Smartphone Security: Can iPhones Get Malware?Malware affecting "thousands" of iPhones can steal App Store credentials, but the majority of iOS users are perfectly safe – so what's the deal with iOS and rogue software?Read More. The app or file then sends further personal data to the scammer, who goes on to list the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of family and friends, to directly threaten their close relationships. Nothing is private from the cybercriminals.

This evolution of sextortion is a change from blackmailing victims over explicit material to a more complete dominance over personal data and contacts.

Famous Cases

It’s especially a problem in the Far East: according to TrendMicro, a Japanese sextortion gang stole at least ¥3.5 million ($29,204.88) from 22 victims between December 2013 and January 2014. Similarly, in the Philippines, police arrested over 60 people accused of sextortion, a group whose demands ranged between $500 and $15,000. Described as “just the tip of the iceberg,” more than 260 pieces of evidence, notably PCs, laptops, and smartphones, were seized in Manila.

Sextortion itself has claimed far too many victims already. Aside from financial setbacks, victims’ lives have been heavily affected. The following cases are particularly disturbing.

As well as the efficient plans of organisations in the East (whose victims vary wildly in age), sextortion can occur amongst students. GQ reports that a high school senior in Wisconsin pretended to be a female student online and convinced a ring of at least 31 peers to send him explicit images, which he then used as blackmail material.

Cassidy Wolf, 2013 Miss Teen California, also received an email containing two naked photos of her in her bedroom, her webcam having been hacked. She was instructed to “do what I tell you to do for 5 minutes” in a video chat, or “Your dream of being a model will be transformed into a porn star.” When she didn’t respond, those photos were put onto social media, with one even displayed as her Twitter avatar.

One of the most shocking cases resulted in the apparent suicide of a 24-year-old woman who left behind a 4-year-old son. She received an email threatening the release of naked pictures found on a laptop stolen from her apartment. Even though arrests were made, it left her deeply traumatized. Justice Department prosecutor, Mona Sedky said, “it was really no different than someone being present with a weapon and trying to make her take her clothes off.”

“I’d say the number one thing parents can do is talk to their kids. Make sure you have an open discussion about the potential threats that are on the Internet. Not only contacting a stranger, but also pointing out that who they meet may not approach them right away and may try to develop a friendship and things of that nature. So, you need to continuously have that open dialogue with your child, making sure that they have an understanding as the years go by, because every year that they grow up, the threats will slightly change.”

Furthermore, it’s important to remember that not all underage individuals are likely to do anything like this. Even though sextortion is more widespread, it still affects the minority. Nonetheless, here are some simple guidelines to keep in mind:

Don’t interact with strangers requesting a video conversation or cybersex;

Don’t download any apps or files from anyone you don’t know;

Delete any suspicious SMS or emails;

Talk about what’s happening. Even if it’s embarrassing, family and friends like you for who you are, regardless of what mistakes are made;

Remember, whether your webcam was hacked, you volunteered material, or if it was found on stolen equipment, it’s not your fault.

What advice do you have? Should the online activities of children be monitored 24/7? This wouldn’t help those older victims, but would it create a more secure, private future for today’s youth? Let us know your thoughts below.

I don't find that I use my web cam a whole lot, so it is usually pointed either at my ceiling or a poster in my office. I guess if someone did crack my web cam and I forgot to point it at the ceiling, they would only get to see my ugly ass working on my computer. Not worth much, less so if I don't have any shirt on.

Articles on this subject have plenty of advice on avoiding the situation but never have any information on what to do if you are stuck in the middle of an extortion attempt. I would imagine that's a terrible hopeless place to be.

Android is no more vulnerable than iOS as long as you don't go into the settings and allow sideloading apps, despite the security warnings that you have to acknowledge in doing so. Why don't your prevention steps include not disabling security settings by allowing sideloafing?

There is absolutely no reason or justification for storing salacious or compromising pictures of oneself on one's PC, let alone posting them on a social network site. If you do either one of these things, do not be surprised when you become an Internet "star" or a target of blackmail.

Think of your web camera as a window on the world. Just as you wouldn't purposely parade in various stages of undress in front of your undraped home windows, put a cover over your web camera whenever it is not in actual use by you.

When I was 14, I was pressured into sending nudes to some older boys, including a few to a 25 year old. I've heard those pictures of me are floating around on the internet. But you know what, that isn't my fault. Those boys should have known better. But whatever, I'll never get justice for that.

"that is a person choice"
You're right. It is a personal choice. Unfortunately many people do not want to face the consequences of their choices. If you make the personal choice to drink and drive, don't be whining later when you get arrested.

"If I said if you keep money in your wallet, home, or bank account don’t be surprised if someone steals it can you see how pointless and misplaced that comment would be?"
You're analogy is only partly right. If someone steals my wallet out of my pocket or steals the money out of the my mattress, I may be a victim but I have no one to blame but myself for not securing my money better. If somebody steals my money out of the bank then it is the bank's fault because it is their job to secure the accounts of their customers.

That's the reason we (as a parents) should use parental control software to protect kids from the internet predators. I decided to install PCWebControl but now I need something for their mobile phones- any ideas?

When he’s not watching television, reading books ‘n’ Marvel comics, listening to The Killers, and obsessing over script ideas, Philip Bates pretends to be a freelance writer. He enjoys collecting everything.